Saving drivers to an ext HD to reload after formatting?

2wayne · 06-02-2007, 01:06 AM

Ok, Ive decided to reformat the HD, and reload XP from Scratch..
Ive beed getting nowhere in trying to regain what was once a pretty fast (eh-so/so?) system...So I'll reformat and boot up off the XP -CD.
I do have (2) external HD's so backing up what I need to is not too much of an issue-
However-
When I went to XP- I remember there were a boatload of 'update' (driver) patches I needed to download for software & hardware that I've since added (orig OS was ME)..I have those patches saved off on CD- bt the one I remember being the biggest PIA was for the sound card...I recal it was a lobotomy trying to get that patch/update driver to work- never figured out just how it was configured- but it took a while...

heres my Q- are these 'active' drivers stored in a location that I can just copy the whole file their under- to a external HD, and when re-installing, update the device (sound card) from that HD/file location?
If so- where? C:/Windows/system32/drivers ??

thx
2w

NeloForster · 14-02-2007, 11:46 AM

Have you not tried to select to update the driver in Device Manager for the soundcard and have it search the directory the driver exists in?

When installing my USB cable modem I do it that way, it finds the correct driver which is simply a file in a folder of the installation CD. I can't see why this won't work if you already have the driver installed to a folder.

Dunno if that's much help, but hope it works for you.

Mike

06-02-2007, 01:06 AM	#1 (permalink) Top
2wayne Geek Trainee Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 3 Status: Offline	Saving drivers to an ext HD to reload after formatting? Ok, Ive decided to reformat the HD, and reload XP from Scratch.. Ive beed getting nowhere in trying to regain what was once a pretty fast (eh-so/so?) system...So I'll reformat and boot up off the XP -CD. I do have (2) external HD's so backing up what I need to is not too much of an issue- However- When I went to XP- I remember there were a boatload of 'update' (driver) patches I needed to download for software & hardware that I've since added (orig OS was ME)..I have those patches saved off on CD- bt the one I remember being the biggest PIA was for the sound card...I recal it was a lobotomy trying to get that patch/update driver to work- never figured out just how it was configured- but it took a while... heres my Q- are these 'active' drivers stored in a location that I can just copy the whole file their under- to a external HD, and when re-installing, update the device (sound card) from that HD/file location? If so- where? C:/Windows/system32/drivers ?? thx 2w

14-02-2007, 11:46 AM	#2 (permalink) Top
NeloForster Source of Exyphetadolamin Join Date: Dec 2006 Gender: Male Posts: 145 Times Helpful: 11 My Mood: Relaxed Status: Offline My Computer	Have you not tried to select to update the driver in Device Manager for the soundcard and have it search the directory the driver exists in? When installing my USB cable modem I do it that way, it finds the correct driver which is simply a file in a folder of the installation CD. I can't see why this won't work if you already have the driver installed to a folder. Dunno if that's much help, but hope it works for you. Mike __________________ "Windows cannot open readme.txt because there is a possibility of it being a file"

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